More men trying yoga than ever before

New York, Feb 27: As more men are flocking to yoga classes, it seems they’re tired of borrowing their girlfriends’ purple, flowered yoga mats.

Thankfully for them, some savvy retailers have heard the complaint and are starting to step up their offerings for male yogis.

YogaJack Inc., a fledgling company based in San Francisco and Boston, last week announced its introductory line of yoga gear just for guys, the New York Daily News reported.

Among the offerings are longer, thicker yoga mats with a “proprietary non-slip surface” for sweaty dudes, and tote bags in guy-friendly basic black.

Founder and president Jahon Jamali, a 32-year-old father of two who once worked in intelligence for the Department of Defense, first got into yoga because hi wife had been pushing him.

“I gotta be honest – yoga is a little intimidating for guys at first. I went out to buy a cheap mat and I couldn’t find anything for me. I’m not a New Age guy; I’m a standard average Joe. Guess what, I don’t want a floral print mat,” he said.

The YogaJack ONE Men’s Premium Yoga Mat is longer and cushier than other mats on the market.

YogaJack isn’t the only company to get a jump on guy-friendly yoga gear.

High-end athletic shop Lululemon has a dedicated men’s yoga section in its stores and on its website, though the women’s offerings are still more plentiful.

Yogi favorite Manduka offers its signature mats in longer sizes and a wide range of colors.

The number of guys doing yoga has jumped in recent years, Mike Patton said, who founded lower Manhattan’s YogaVida after he was laid off from Bear Stearns.

He said that men are realizing that yoga is not just for chicks, and that it’s a little more challenging than trying to touch your toes for an hour.

He credits popular workout program P90X, which includes yoga-inspired stretching, for exposing more guys to the practice.

More products geared towards men are only likely to increase that trend, said Mike Taylor, co-founder of Strala Yoga in NoHo. (ANI)